JAMMU AND KASHMIR, July 8, 2003: About 25,000 Hindus prayed for their ancestors at a shrine in Kashmir following an age-old ritual that has not been performed in 14 years. Many came from refugee camps that are home to several thousand Kashmiri Hindus who left their homes after Muslim terrorism against Indian rule began in 1989. They performed the ritual at the historic shrine of Martand, 275 km east of Jammu. For hundreds of years, Hindus from India and abroad have visited Martand on special occasions to perform the ritual of praying for the peace of the souls of their departed ancestors.
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